Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Lou Qi came here after smelling the scent...
In late autumn, the cold wind blows on my face.
On both sides of the official road heading west, dead branches swayed in the wind, and the ruts were shallow and deep. A carriage slowly passed through the valley, and a corner of the window was lifted, revealing the eyebrows of the woman in the car.
Jiang Ci sat in the car wearing a cloak, holding a hot water bottle in his hand, his eyes fixed on the flowing scenery outside the window, and he did not move for a long time.
The carriage reached the foot of the mountain, and an ancient temple appeared in front of them. Yin Shuang pulled the reins and turned back to call out, "Miss, there's a temple ahead. Let's take a break."
Jiang Ci nodded, lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, then walked down and looked at the three words "Qianhua Temple" written at the temple gate not far away.
Qianhua Temple is ancient and quiet. Fallen leaves cover the stone steps in front of the temple, and the air is filled with the fragrance of pine and the chill of early winter.
Jiang Ci stood by the stream for a while, looking down in a daze. Suddenly, a small sachet on his waist slipped off and fell into the water with the wind, floating up and down in a spiral.
She was startled and subconsciously bent down to take it, but the sachet floated downstream. When Jiang Ci was about to give up, he saw a figure who had stepped into the stream first. He bent down and fished out the sachet. Water droplets rolled down from his fingers, and the stream water soaked the corners of his sleeves.
"It's the donor's item." The man came over with his head lowered and handed over the sachet. His voice was as clear and soft as snow, low and gentle.
Jiang Ci was about to take the sachet when he looked in the direction where the message came from and suddenly met a thin but familiar face.
She was stunned: "...Xie Guijing?"
The monk was also shocked. After a moment, he lowered his head and turned to leave: "I have already been ordained and no longer use my old name."
"Wait a minute." Jiang Ci reached out to stop him, staring at his face beneath the gray monk's robe, which should have been full of vigor and vitality but was now as silent as dust. "Why did you become a monk?"
Xie Guijing avoided her gaze and said, "A thought arises, a thought disappears. I have become indifferent to worldly affairs. Becoming a monk is a choice in my heart."
Jiang Ci looked at him with a complicated expression.
She remembered that he was a handsome and talented man who had walked side by side with her in Zichuan to help the people. They had just parted ways in Fengdu a month ago. How could he suddenly become like this?
"What happened to you?" she asked softly.
Xie Guijing's eyes flickered slightly, and he pursed his lips, shook his head and smiled: "Donor, you have misunderstood. I am no longer attached to you."
Jiang Ci didn't ask any more questions, but just looked at him with a complicated expression.
Xie Guijing smiled, but it was uglier than crying. He asked softly, "Are you...going back to Liangzhou to visit your relatives?"
Jiang Ci glanced at him with a calm expression: "No. Ji Yang... divorced me."
Xie Guijing was slightly startled, a flash of surprise flashed across his eyes, then he lowered his head and smiled, his smile was as bitter as water.
As expected, he and A Ci were not destined to be together after all.
Even if he had not become a monk, after that shameful incident, he no longer had the face to stand in front of her, let alone propose marriage.
He looked up at her, then clasped his hands together and bowed his head, his voice gentle but with a hint of caution: "Donor... do you have a place to stay today?"
Jiang Ci shook his head and said, "We had planned to rest here and then continue on our journey. If all goes well, we'll reach the next post station before dark." Xie Guijing pondered for a moment, then spoke more slowly, "Since that's the case, why not stay at Qianhua Temple for a while? Even if we're just passing through, we have a connection with Buddhism. The temple has a quiet courtyard where we can accommodate our guests. Although the food is simple, it's just a token of our appreciation... If you don't mind, please come."
Jiang Ci's heart moved slightly when he heard this. Looking at his increasingly awkward expression, he nodded.
That night, she stayed at Qianhua Temple.
Dusk deepened, yellow leaves fluttered in front of the temple, and silence had long since fallen outside the mountain gate. Qianhua Temple was utterly silent, with curls of incense rising, unable to mask the cool breeze of the night.
Xie Guijing knelt alone in his meditation room, his brows lowered, his figure as still as a stone statue. The Buddhist beads slipped through his fingers, his gaze fixed on the ground, yet he could not find peace of mind.
Suddenly, there were footsteps outside the door.
The abbot of the temple walked in slowly, holding incense in his hand. He stood quietly behind him for a moment and suddenly spoke:
"Don't talk too much. Talking too much is wrong."
Xie Guijing's expression remained unchanged, but the smoke of cigarette smoke curled around his eyelashes, unable to hide the momentary emotion.
The host sighed and said slowly:
"The look you gave her just now in the corridor was not the pure heart that a Buddhist disciple should have. Now that you have shaved your head, you should renounce worldly affairs. If your heart is not at peace, you will miss out on your Buddhist destiny, and yourself as well."
Xie Guijing lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. Then he responded hoarsely, "Disciple, my heart is calm." His tone was stiff, as if he was brainwashing himself.
As the night deepened, Jiang Ci sat alone in the temple's corridor. The ginkgo trees in the courtyard were already dyed golden, their leaves drifting slowly in the wind, gently falling into the Buddha pond, creating ripples.
She watched motionlessly, her eyes far away, her expression calm but with a hint of shattering. She remembered the last sentence in the divorce letter and whispered it out loud:
"Don't hear about life or death anymore."
The voice was very soft, but Yin Shuang heard it. She looked back, but didn't dare to say anything. She just turned back to the house and left a light on for Jiang Ci.
The weather cleared up the next day.
Jiang Ci stood at the temple gate holding an umbrella and nodded goodbye to Xie Guijing.
Xie Guijing stood on the stone steps, clasped his hands and said, "Donor, after we part today, there will only be Mingzhan, but no more Xie Guijing." His eyes were silent as he watched her leave without looking away.
Yin Shuang helped Jiang Ci onto the carriage, and the wheels rolled towards Liangzhou.
Fengdu at this time.
After Ji Yang finished explaining the post-war arrangements, he ordered Lu Linchuan and General Han Yue to guard two lines of defense to stabilize Dongyang City. Afterwards, he rode west without stopping.
Before leaving, he only changed into a brocade robe - which was sewn for him by Jiang Ci in Ningling.
The longing he had never expressed was growing stronger day by day. He knew that if he didn't catch up, he would probably lose it.
The horse's hooves galloped, the late autumn wind rose, the leaves in the forest turned yellow, and his figure passed by the gate of Fengdu City, gradually moving away in the golden wind and silent wilderness.
A few days later, Liangzhou, Zichuan City.
Jiang Ci's carriage finally crossed the long road and slowly entered the familiar streets. She lifted the curtain and looked out. Everything on the street seemed unchanged, still the same as before, yet it seemed covered with a thick layer of frost and fog, strange and distant.
In front of the Jiang Mansion, the gatekeeper saw that it was the young lady who had returned and hurried to report.
Soon, Jiang Huaice came out quickly. His age hadn't changed, and he still had the demeanor of a sturdy general, but his eyes were filled with complex emotions.
Jiang Ci got out of the car and bowed deeply to his father.
"Father, I'm back."
Jiang Huaice looked at the quiet stubbornness and exhaustion in her eyes, and said lightly: "I'm glad you're back. It's cold outside. Come in quickly."
Jiang Ci followed Jiang Huaice into the inner hall.
The fire in the house was warm. She took off her cloak and sat down. Yinshuang and Wanniang retreated to the corridor, leaving the time and the house to the father and daughter who had been reunited after a long separation.
Jiang Ci lowered his eyes, was silent for a moment, and finally spoke slowly.
She recounted her experiences in Dongyang, without embellishment or evasion. Finally, her voice hoarse, she spoke with unwavering composure, "...Father, Ji Yang and I have reconciled. He personally wrote the divorce letter, and I am no longer the Marquis of Dongyang's wife."
Jiang Huaice's hand, which was originally holding the teacup, paused.
He didn't ask immediately, nor did he become angry. He simply stared at her for a long moment, his brow as still as a mountain. After a long pause, he put down his teacup and spoke slowly but forcefully, "Now that you're back, Liangzhou will be your eternal roots. This is your home. From now on, Dad will protect you."
This simple sentence seemed to be the final word in determining her fate.
Jiang Ci's chest trembled slightly, and her forced composure finally relaxed a little. She had expected her father to blame her for ignoring the overall situation, or to ask why, but he didn't ask anything—he didn't even say why.
She suddenly felt a sore nose.
Jiang Huaice continued, "These days when you've been in Dongyang, I've always been worried that you've been having a hard time, and I'm also worried that you've been too sensible and swallowed all your grievances."
He paused, his eyes moist, but he remained composed. "I don't know how much you've been through in that mansion. Perhaps you haven't even had time to think about it. But there's no need to dwell on it. From today on, let's continue to be happy."
He turned and ordered the servants outside: "Clear out the west wing, and prepare a few items that the young lady likes in the inner courtyard to serve her well." Turning back to Jiang Ci, he said: "Ah Ci, after you left, I have kept the things in your room as they were. Someone cleans it every day, thinking that one day you might come back."
Jiang Ci couldn't hold it back any longer, and tears finally rolled down his cheeks.
She stood up and gently threw herself into her father's arms, like a child who had fallen on a snowy night and needed a place to cry. She hugged him tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, "I'm fine, I'm really fine... I didn't suffer much..."
"You didn't suffer, so why are you crying like this after coming back?" Jiang Huaice raised his hand and gently patted her back, his voice low and gentle, "You are my daughter, Ah Ci. I have never asked you to be smart or capable. I just hope that you are safe, willing to laugh, eat well, and sleep well."
Jiang Ci cried even harder.
The night was dark, the wind outside blew through the corridor of Jiang Mansion, the shadows of pine trees fell obliquely, and the lights in the room were warm.
Wanniang was busy in the kitchen for a long time, and finally brought out a bowl of steaming tea noodles and carefully placed it on Jiang Ci's desk.
"When you were little, my dearest was this. Every time you cried, I would cook a bowl for you. You would eat while wiping your tears, and you would feel better after you finished." She kept muttering to herself, but she never dared to look Jiang Ci in the eye. She just turned her back and wiped her face, her voice choking, "What a pity... right now, you don't want anyone to see you crying the most."
Jiang Ci looked down at the bowl of noodles. The tea soup was clear, and the egg drops and green onions were floating in the air. It was as if he was back to that winter day many years ago when he was still hiding in his stepmother's arms and acting coquettishly.
Her nose felt sore, but she suppressed her emotions and said, "Wan Niang, don't worry too much. I'm back and everything is fine."
Yin Shuang leaned against the door and was silent for a long time before she finally spoke: "Miss, I want to join the Liangzhou Army."
Jiang Ci looked up at her, not surprised.
Yin Shuang's expression was firm: "Liangzhou is still there, and Liangzhou still needs people. I want to work for Liangzhou. As the young lady said, protecting a place is also protecting a person."
Her voice was not loud, but it was sonorous and powerful, and her eyes were cold.
Jiang Ci looked at her and said with relief, "Go to the camp and sign up tomorrow. Although the Liangzhou army is not strong, it is better than nothing. I will wait for you to become the female general of Liangzhou."
Yin Shuang nodded seriously, turned around and walked out.
The lights gradually dimmed and the night became quiet and silent.
After Wanniang finished cleaning up, Jiang Ci didn't say anything else, just saying that he wanted to sit down. After everyone in the room left, she put on her clothes and walked to the window, gently pushing it half open. The night wind, wrapped in a hint of chill, blew in her face, brushing the broken hair by her ears.
Lights were dimly visible in the distance, and Liangzhou City sank into the night.
She looked towards the dark horizon, her gaze seeming to pass through thousands of mountains and rivers and land on the distant Fengdu City.
Now that I'm back, everything seems like a lifetime ago.
Jiang Ci's fingertips gently stroked the window frame, his eyes were as calm as water, but they hid unfathomable emotions.
She remembered clearly what he said that day.
After all, love is not something that can be severed by a piece of divorce paper.
Jiang Ci stopped thinking about it and was thinking about what to eat tomorrow. She hadn't eaten Fengdu's food for a long time.
The next day, at daybreak, the stone path in the governor's mansion was moist and slippery from last night's dew.
Jiang Ci, dressed in green, slowly supported Jiang Huaice as they walked around a loquat tree in the courtyard. Father and daughter said little, only the birds chirping in the courtyard, a moment of peace and tranquility.
Jiang Huaice walked slowly, and there were fine lines around his eyes, but he was still energetic. He occasionally stopped and looked at the newly exposed moss under the tree, wondering what he was thinking.
Jiang Ci stayed beside his father without saying a word, but just pulled his father's clothes tighter for him.
At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the mansion gate.
"Sir Governor—!" A defender stumbled into the courtyard, his body covered in dust, beads of sweat on his forehead. His voice was filled with urgency, "Urgent news from the north gate of Zichuan! The Hanbei army is approaching. Although their numbers are small, their banners are real. The leader is wearing a bronze mask and is suspected to be—Hanbei Yan Wang Louqi!"
The courtyard suddenly became quiet.
Jiang Huaice's expression changed, his eyes were sharp in an instant, and his tone was cold: "Send an order, call a military meeting, and go to the city tower immediately to check."
The defenders retreated in response.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ci's expression also slightly withered, his eyes darkened, he gathered his hands in his sleeves, and spoke in a deep voice:
"Dad, I'm going too."
Jiang Huaice turned his head to look at her, hesitating slightly.
Jiang Ci had already stepped forward, her tone calm and firm: "My daughter is now grown up. There are no children at home, and I want to share your worries."
Jiang Huaice didn't refuse after all, and only warned: "Don't underestimate the enemy."
Jiang Ci nodded: "My daughter understands."
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